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1997 Youngstown State Penguins football
1997 Youngstown State Penguins football
NCAA Division I-AA champion
NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game, W 10–9 vs. McNeese State
Conference	Gateway Football Conference
Ranking
Sports Network	No. 4
Record	13–2 (4–2 Gateway)
Head coach	Jim Tressel (12th season);
Home stadium	Stambaugh Stadium
	Seasons ← 1996 1998 →

1997 Gateway Football Conference standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 2 Western Illinois $^	6	–	0	11	–	2
Northern Iowa	5	–	1	7	–	4
No. 4 Youngstown State ^	4	–	2	13	–	2
Southwest Missouri State	3	–	3	5	–	6
Indiana State	2	–	4	3	–	8
Southern Illinois	1	–	5	3	–	8
Illinois State	0	–	6	2	–	9

$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Youngstown State Penguins football team was an American football team represented Youngstown State University in the Gateway Football Conference during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their 12th season under head coach Jim Tressel, the team compiled a 13–2 record (4–2 against conference opponents) and defeated McNeese State in the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game.^[1] It was Youngstown State's fourth national championship in seven years.^[2]

Quarterback Demond Tidwell received the team's most valuable player award.^[3] The team's statistical leaders included Tidwell with 1,961 passing yards, Jack Andreadis with 1,057 rushing yards and 1,688 all-purpose yards, and Adrian Brown with 122 points.^[4]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 28	7:00 p.m.	Slippery Rock*	No. 11	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 33–9	14,107
September 6	7:00 p.m.	Kent State*	No. 9	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 44–23	17,974
September 20	1:00 p.m.	at Boston University*	No. 6	Nickerson Field Boston, MA	W 28–7	2,035
September 27	7:00 p.m.	Hofstra*	No. 2	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 27–22	16,071
October 4	2:00 p.m.	at Indiana State	No. 2	Memorial Stadium Terre Haute, IN	W 31–0	5,335
October 11	1:00 p.m.	Buffalo*	No. 1	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 52–17	20,519
October 18	1:30 p.m.	at No. 24 Northern Iowa	No. 1	UNI-Dome Cedar Falls, IA	L 32–35	12,218
November 1	1:00 p.m.	Illinois State	No. 4	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 13–0	13,363
November 8	12:30 p.m.	at Southern Illinois	No. 4	McAndrew Stadium Carbondale, IL	W 34–10	2,000	^[5]
November 15	1:00 p.m.	Southwest Missouri State	No. 4	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 45–13	11,167	^[6]
November 22	1:00 p.m.	No. 2 Western Illinois	No. 4	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	L 21–24	12,134	^[7]
November 29	1:00 p.m.	No. 9 Hampton*	No. 4	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH (NCAA Division I-AA First Round)	W 28–13	12,431	^[8]
December 6	12:00 p.m.	at No. 1 Villanova*	No. 4	Villanova Stadium Villanova, PA (NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal)	W 37–34	7,591
December 13	12:30 p.m.	at No. 6 Eastern Washington*	No. 4	Joe Albi Stadium Spokane, WA (NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal)	W 25–14	8,529	^[9]
December 20	2:00 p.m.	vs. No. 7 McNeese State*	No. 4	Finley Stadium Chattanooga, TN (NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game)	W 10–9	14,771	^[2]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time